Signaling system.



R. M. HOPKINS.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.|3.1918.

1,3 1 1,649. Patented July 29, 1919.

HMMETER fl-w.m ATTORNEY THE COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

MMQuMQ.

RICHARD M. HOPKINS, or E THEE O D, JEEs znSsIenoE r0 AMERICAN 7 DISTRICT TELEGRAPH COMPANY, or JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW JERSEY.

' SIGNALING: SYSTEM.

' Patented July 29, 1919.

Application filed annie, 1918. Serial No. 222,078.

To all whom it may concern: I 1

Be it known that I, RICHARD M. HOPKINS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Rutherford, in thecounty of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Signaling Systems, of which the following is a speci-. fication; l

My invention relates generally to signaling systems, and particularly to systems wherein one or more call boxes, thermostats, burglar alarms, or other transmitting devices are to cause the operation" of signal giving devices in a plurality of circuits. The system is particularly applicable to fire alarm systems of large stores, wares houses, etc., wherein, in the event of fire, alarms are to be sounded at a large number of different points. In such-systems, it is usually desirable that only a relatively small number of alarm giving devices shall be located in any one circuit; hence the occasion for the provision of a plurality of circuits for such alarm giving devices. It is desirable that the circuits shall be constantly under test, so that in case of any derangement (such for example as breaking of the circuit, or grounding of the circuit) a trouble signal shall be given; yet in case an alarm is sounded, the several circuits of the alarm giving devices should be connected separately to the source of current supply; so that derangement of one such circuit shall not prevent operation of the other circuits, and so that there shall be ample current in each circuit for the operation of the alarm giving device thereof.

My system herein illustrated and described is particularly intended to be used in connection with signal giving devices-which require relatively, strong currents. for their operation, as compared with the currents re-. quired for electric bells and the like, so that it is desirable that the supply of'current to such signal giving devices shall be controlled by relays of a type adaptable for the handling of moderately large currents, and of a type which, for various reasons, 'it is not desirable to include directly in the transmitter circuit itself. Furthermore, the system herein described is particularly in tended for use "Where the current designed to operate the signal giving devices is to differ, either as to character or as to voltage, from the, current designed to be used for the immediate operation of the .means wherebysuch alarm giving devices are con trolled and the various circuits supervised. For example, the current whereby the alarm giving devices are to be operated may be an alternating current, whereas the current to be used for the operation of the instruments by. which that alternating current is controlled, and by which supervision iseifected, may be direct current of low voltage.

The objects of my invention are to -pro;-. vide a suitable signal system for the operation of one ormore signal giving circuits containing signal giving devices requiring an operating current of somewhat greater strength than that ordinarily required by electric bells and the like, and'to' provide for the automatic continuous testing of the signalgiving circuits in a simple manner and by means of relatively small testing currents, also to provide for the operation of the instruments by which the main-signal giving current is controlled, and by which testing is efiected by a current of acharacter or of a voltage dilferent from that of the signal giving current.

. I .will now proceed to describe my inven tion with reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates, more or less dia grammatically, a system embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features in-claims.v q

In the drawings: V and G represent re spectively. incoming and outgoing current leads for the main or signal giving current. B designates an immediate source of current for the operation of the instruments and for the supply of current for testing purposes; which source B may be, for example, a stor age battery, arranged to'be charged from time to time from an alternating source of supply 'X-Y through a charging rectifier R. Adesignate magnet spools of a direct current-relay and a the armature of that relay, and H designates a delay action relay of familiartype, having contacts S and S arranged to be operated by an armature extension of relay H; contact S being normally closed and contact S being normally open. C designates a relay (forIexample, a relay of the solenoid type), controlling the various alarm giving circuits, as hereinafter described. T is a circuit containing varioussignal boxes or transmitters T, and F F F and F are circuits containing various alarm giving devices, for example, al-7 ternat g current home, F. M 1s. an emmeter relay, vi v a combined mmeter relay," of Well known character.

The circuits of the system are as follows:

from one pole of battery B through 'conductor l ,to a milli-ammeter M and thence through conductor Q' andthe coils of retard relay H and conductor tortransmitter cit.

B. vBy this circuit the armature a of relay A is normally maintained in attracted .posi.-

tion, and the armature it of retard relay is normally maintained in the position shown. vThe circu t thus traced. 1s lflitlfl tamed normally undersupervislon in the following manner? Should the circuitflbe broken, ,or the battery current decrease greatly, the armature h of relay H'w-illzbe permitted toadrop, andcontact S will close, thereby closing asignal circuit from battery b through conductor 6, contact S con-diam tor. 7', and atrouble signal hell 8 backto battery 6. i

v Breaking of the circuit l- 5, (which breaking maybe caused by the operation of one of the transmitters T',.) causesuthe dropping of armature a of relay- A, where-' by a circuitis completed from battery B through conductor 1 9:- to: the coil of solo.- noid relay G," conductor- 10, and contact S1 of relay 4H, and conductor It to. the lower contactof: relay A, and .thence through the armature of that relay (such armature be ing' then retracted). andv conductor 12 to conductor- 5 and so back to; battery: The cnergizationof the magnet of relay C closes the various; contacts 0 c 0? 0. 0 c and 0 0 Thereby the various signal-givingcin cuits F F F and 1B completed, as follows: from conductor Y through fuse f and relay contacts 0 and: thencethroug-h conductor 13, fuse i and conductor l4, circuit E and conductor 15', and. contacts 0 tofuse and thence to G; alsoaby the path previously traced through conductor It to circuit E and conductor- 16- to contacts 0*, fuse f and thence to also from V through fuse fiand contacts 0 conductor 17 and fusef to circuit F and thence through conductor-- 15; and contacts- 0 to fuse :f and "thence to also. from Y through fuse- 7 fuse fiand circuit F to conductor 16 and thence through contacts 0 to fuse F and so to A -mmete'r; relay M is normally-included in (the; severalcir cuits F F ,F F in series as follows ifroni source Gr through fuse f and; a high resistance; R to said ammeter relay Mand thence through conductor 18, fuse f circuit F circuit F circuit F and circuit F to fuse f and thence through fuse te: V, but" the resistance-R isso high, that the sound sound. 1

cuit

conductor 7, signal bell 8, and backto battery; By this circuit 19-20, the various circuits-E F 1??- and F are su ervised a .a p

slnce, if any one of said circuits F -F be opened,or grounded, therel'ay M will close the circuit 19,20, causing the hell 8 to During-the operationof any oneof the transmitters '1, ("which transmitters when they operate will open and close the circuit T according to-some distinctive code signal, for example, a numeral), the consequent alternate denerg-izationand energizati'on of relay 'Aiwill cause the signal giving devices in all of the circuits F .l.? to opcrate, sounding the signal of the particular box T which has been operated and, correspondingly, the trouble signal hell 8 will also; sound such signal. It is not desired, however, that in case of a break in the circuit T produced otherwise than by the operation of the signal boxes T, the signal giving devices shall continue to. operate; 7

therefore, in case of continued break in the circuit T, the armature of relay H drops farenoughtovopen the contact S of that relay, so deenergiz ing the'm'agnet of relay (1 and breaking the circuits F YF at the contact points of this relay-C. But in this event the bell 8' will-continue to ring until the break in the circuit T hasnbeen repaired.

It will be noted that" the circuit by which relays-A, H, and .C are controlled is entirelly separate, both as to source of'energy, and as to connections, from the circuit from current supply V, G, tothe various circuits F F*. The system. is, there-fore, adapted to conditions whether a high potential current or an alternating current isdesired for the operation of" the signalgiving devices rect current, isdesir'ed foroperating the instruments. r

is a voltmeter bridged-"across the cirfor indicating the voltage in that circuit. 1 r v The invention of this application em bodies-in:- part the invention of my prior applicatiom-Serial No. 126,649, filed Oc tober 20, 1 916, and embodies a modification of the inventionof said prior application.

What I claim is: v

1 In signaling system the combination of a transmitter circuit comprising one or more transmitters, a signal giving circuit entirely separate from: transmitter circuit and comprising one or more signal giving d'evlces, independentsources of current supply for said two circuits, a main controlling relay and a delay action relay in said transmitter circuit, a further relay and a circuit therefor, said further relay controlling the signal giving circuit and controlled through its circuit by said main relay and arranged when operated by said main relay to close the signal giving circuit, said delay action relay having contacts arranged to break the circuit of said further relay in the event of prolonged breakage of the transmitter circuit.

2. In a signaling system the combination of a transmitter circuit comprising one or more transmitters, a signal giving circuit entirely separate from said transmitter circuit and comprising one or more signal giving devices, independent sources of current supply for said two circuits, a main controlling relay and a delay action relay in said transmitter circuit, a further relay and a circuit therefor, said further relay controlling the signal giving circuit and controlled through its circuit by said main relay and arranged when operated by said main relay to close the signal giving circuit, said delay action relay havingcontacts arranged to break the circuit of said further relay in the event of prolonged breakage of the transmitter circuit, and a trouble signal device and circuit therefor controlled by a further contact of said delay action relay, and arranged to be operated by said delay action relay in the event of breakage in the transmitter circuit.

3. In a signaling system, the combination of a transmitter circuit comprising one or more transmitters, a plurality of signal giving circuits entirely separate from said transmitter circuit and each comprising one or more signal giving devices, independent sources of current supply for said transmitter circuit and for said signal giving circuits, a main controlling relay and a delay action relay in said transmitter circuit, a further relay and a circuit therefor con- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the trolled through its circuit by said main relay and arranged when operated by said main relay to close the signal giving circuits, said delay action relay having contacts arranged to break the circuit of said further relay in the event of prolonged breakage of the transmitter circuit, said signal giving circuits being connected in multiple to their respective source of supply through normally open contacts of said further relay, and a high resistance test circuit connecting said signal giving circuits in series, and a test relay in such test circuit.

4. In a signaling system, the combination of a transmitter circuit comprising one or more transmitters, a plurality of signal giving circuits entirely separate from said transmitter circuit and each comprising one or more signal giving devices, independent sources of current supply for said transmitter circuit and for said signal giving circuits, a main controlling relay and a delay action relay in said transmitter circuit, a further relay and a circuit therefor controlled through its circuit by said main relay and arranged when operated by said main relay to close the signal giving circuits, said delay action relay having contacts arranged to break the circuit of said further relay in the event of prolonged breakage of the transmitter circuit, said signal giving circuits being connected in multiple to their respective source of supply through normally open contacts of said further relay, and a high resistance test circuit connecting said signal giving circuits in series, and a test relay in such test circuit, and trouble signal means controlled by said delay action relay and test relay.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' RICHARD M. HOPKINS. WVitnesses GEO. Bosorr, HARRY J. McGANN.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washlngton, D. 0." 

